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Questions tagged [desktop-environments]

Software that provides a graphical user interface, with elements like icons, windows, toolbars, as well as additional features. Popular examples include Gnome and KDE.

64 questions
35
votes
5 answers

How to set a default desktop environment at system start?

I'm a Linux and KDE user, and recently I started to use also Enlightenment as a substitute Desktop environment when I need a lighter resource consumption. I use KDM as a display manager, and I need to find a way to correctly set the default desktop…
Sekhemty
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26
votes
3 answers

Window Manager vs. Desktop Environment vs. Window System? What's the difference?

I'm confused as to what these terms actually mean AND as to what they do/how they contribute to the system as a whole. In particular, back when I was running Ubuntu, there were several keywords like: Gnome X11 Xorg Metacity GTK+ What exactly is…
nopcorn
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22
votes
2 answers

Is Cinnamon a desktop environment or a window manager? (Or both?)

As far as I understand it: X11 is how you draw primitive things; A (compositing) window manager is something that uses X11 to provide the tools for drawing more complex things, and position them in layers on screen; A desktop environment is…
Adam Barnes
  • 695
12
votes
1 answer

How to configure Linux to open files by extension?

The various Linux's desktops open files according to their mime type. This is a very nice feature but I also need to open them by extension (as with Windows). For instance, I want to open every xxxxx.vnc files with a specific program when I…
Gregory MOUSSAT
  • 1,120
8
votes
3 answers

Can I have Graphics on Linux without a desktop manager?

I have a more-or-less embedded application in development that uses Linux as its OS. I get to specify the distro we use and had started with Ubunto 12.04. My applications, thankfully, are distro-independent terminal apps, and, I believe, so is…
Wes Miller
  • 273
7
votes
3 answers

Prevent screensaver starting when an application runs fullscreen

Is there a way to prevent the screensaver from running when a certain application is running, in Windows Vista? I'm asking because I know Windows MediaPlayer does this, but the kind people at Pinnacle Systems seem to have forgotten this, at least in…
Stijn Sanders
  • 2,496
7
votes
1 answer

Fake desktop environment on Debian server?

I want to run a TeamSpeak 3 Client on my server to serve as a local sound bot. TeamSpeak 3 Client needs a GUI. It is based on Qt. Since TeamSpeak can be controlled from command line, it is not really necessary to waste CPU time for a GUI. So I…
The Wavelength
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7
votes
3 answers

How to run multiple X desktops?

How can I run two instance of, e.g. GNOME, on my computer at once? I know how to change the virtual terminal, but I can't work out how to start a second instance of gnome - it just exits telling me that the X session is locked. EDIT: The other…
a_m0d
  • 1,108
5
votes
1 answer

What is the difference between a Display Manager and Desktop Environment?

I know that a Window Manager just manages windows, and can basically be used with any DE. My question is what is the difference between a display manager and a desktop environment? I ask this because I run i3-gaps on Arch Linux, and I want to be…
Charles Staal
  • 189
5
votes
3 answers

How to continue using GNOME2 with Ubuntu or a derived distribution?

I am currently using Ubuntu 11.04 with GNOME2 instead of the new default, Unity. I heard that in a newer Ubuntu version there is no GNOME2 aka Ubuntu classic desktop anymore. Which Linux distribution will continue to include or support GNOME2, its…
Alex
  • 1,437
5
votes
3 answers

Sideward Scrolling Desktop Environment or Window Manager

I saw a guy on the train the other day with a desktop environment or window manager that when you moved your mouse to the edge of the screen it would scroll sideways to reveal more of the desktop. As if there was a long thin desktop that wasn't all…
jamesj
  • 163
3
votes
1 answer

run a bash script at logoff, shutdown, and restart on Linux

I need to run a bash script each time a Debian-esque thick client logs off, shuts down, or restarts. Outside of that, it can be any distro, desktop environment, window manager, or otherwise (preferably not Unity or Gnome 3; these are older…
Beefy_Swain
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3
votes
3 answers

How to install GNOME 3.8 on my ubuntu 12.04?

I just saw UI of GNome 3.8 and it is awesome. I want to have it, but I don't want to disturb my current setup of ubuntu 12.04. Please tell me if I can install GNOME 3.8 UI on my ubuntu 12.04 without disturbing my current OS and how?
Pratik
  • 133
3
votes
1 answer

GNU/Linux Desktop Environment with Global Menu

I am someone who is not a fanboy of any operating system. Have spent a lot of time on Windows, OSX as well as GNU/Linux and FreeBSD. I am looking for a desktop environment on GNU/Linux that features two things I have grown fond of after working on…
balajeerc
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3
votes
2 answers

Xfce - minimizing windows to tray (iconifying)

For XFCE (v. 4.8), I'm searching for possible options to minimize windows to tray (iconify). This means that 1) they're not in the window listing and 2) they're not in the alt+TAB menu and 3) when closed OR minimized, the window hides (it disappears…
user89272
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